Apparatus for manufacturing box constructions



April 3, 1951' a. P. WOODBURY 2,547,514

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BOX CONSTRUCTIONS Filed March 5, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 fly.

JNVENTOR.

1: Glen P. Woodbury. BY wamfy f2 2 ATTORNEYS.

April 3, 1951 G. P. WOODBURY 2,547,514

I APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BOX CONSTRUCTIONS Filed March a, 1947 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. w Glen P. Woodbury.

BY A2441 KW f 2 A TTOR/VEYS.

Patented Apr. 3, 1951 APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING BOX CONSTRUCTION S Glen P. Woodbury, Reading, Mass, assignor to stapling Machines 00., Rockaway, N. CL, a corporation of Delaware Application March 3, 1947, Serial No. 731,953

invent-ion relates to machines for forming inte interengageable fasteners the ends of wires binding"wirebound boxes and particularly to im proved means for forming aclinching prong on a wire end and for clinching such prong. It is an object of the invention toprovide certain improvements in machines disclosed in Unitedstates Patents 1,933,031, October 31, 1933; 2,024,188; December 17, 1935; 2,161,200, June 6, 1939; 2,191,684, February 27, 1940; and 2,228,304, January 14, 1941. These machines serve to form the ends of the wires of wirebound box blanks into detachable fastening means before the box blank is folded into box form. .When folded into box form, the box cover and other parts of the box may be secured by the fastening means. The fastening means comprise opposing loops or bights at the wire ends, which loops may be passed through one another and bent over to complete the fastening operation. Each-loop is formed by forming a prong on the wire end; bending the body .of the wire end to swing the prong onto the box blank to form a bight, driving the prong through the side material of the box blank and clinching the end of the prong on the under side of the material. One side of each bight or loop is the wire that is stapled to and holds the side sheets and cleats of the box together, and the other side of the bight is secured to the side material forming the box sides.

The wirebound' box blanks usually consist of four separate sections of side material and cleats connected together in foldable relationship by binding wires which are stapled to the side material and cleats. conventional box blank-forming machine are connected together by' the binding wires. The continuous succession of joined box blanks is fed to the machines of the above mentionedpatents,

which machines sever the lengths of binding wires I,

joining the box blanks, and form each resulting wire end into a bight.

In the mechanisms disclosed in the aforementioned patents, the end oithe bight is secured in the side material by a single prong formed at the end of the wire, and clinched in the direction of the pull exerted on the bight when fastened. This construction has the disadvantage that if the bight isbent back from the face of the side material the clinch may be at leastpartially The box blanks as made on the p 8 Claims. (Cl. 140-493) by one 'bight passing through another andfbeing bent over has greater strength. g It is another object to provide a device for see curing the wire; end so that no matter how the 'bight is-r'nanipulatedthe clinch securing the end does not become loosened.

t isanother object to provide a dependable compact double-pronged clinch from a single wire; forfastening the end of the wire to the side material of a wirebound box. It is another object to provide mechanism for converting the end oi a binding wire of a wirebound box into a prong which may subsequently be divided to form a two-legged, two-directional clinch.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a partial side elevation of interengageable-fastener forming mechanism shown in United States Patent 2,024,188 changed to-embody the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a view of pr0ng-ior1ning and scoring elements embodying the invention, in position about to sever the wire joining adjacent box blanks after having scored one side of each of the wire ends to be formed;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the severed wire, showing each end scored and provided with a V-notched end;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view oi the eiements of Figure 2' after they have moved together and formed the prongs and scored the other side of the wire ends. Part of one element andpart of one prong are shown in cross-section to show the web section joining the two sides of the scored prong;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, showing the ends of the scored prongs;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a clinching unit shown in Patent No. 2,024,188, changed to embody the present invention. A prong formed by the machine of Figure 2 is shown about to be driven into the'side material;

Figure 8' is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7. The scored driving point of the prong is shown aligned with a clinching anvil'below; v V

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8, Show: mg the prong driven through the side material and about to contact a parting ridge of the clinching anvil;

- Figure 10 is a View similar to Figure 9, but

. 3 showing the driving and clinching elements moved together to part the scored driving point into separate legs and to clinch each leg in the side material; and

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a bight or loop perpetuated by the two directional clinch shown in Figure 10.

Referring to Figure 1, the rearward end of a box blank A is shown at the left joined to the forward end of a box blank B by a wire strand W running the length of each box blank. Each box blank consists of four separate sections of joined side material M and cleats M connected together in fold-able relationship by a plurality of parallel binding wires W suitably stapled to the side material and cleats by staples Q (Figure 11). The box blank-making machines staple the binding wires to an indefinite succession of side material and cleats to fabricate an indefinite succession of box blanks. Although the nature of the view of Figure 1 permits showing only one wire W, it is understood that there are several such parallel wires stapled to the side material, and spaced across the width of the box blank as required for the particular box blank being manufactured.

The mechanism of Figure 1 automatically and continually takes the successive joined box blanks from the box blank-making machine and positions each of the adjoining box blanks successively in the position shown in Figure 1. While the mechanism holds the box blanks stationary in this position, it performs the following operations: It severs the wire W connecting the leading and following box blanks. It forms prongs on each of the two wire ends; bends the body of each wire end to swing its prong around above the side vertical its respective box blank to form a bight; drives the prongs through the side material; and, clinches the prongs on the under side of the side material. The bight thus formed is shown at R in Figure 11. The mechanism which intermittently feeds the box blanks to and positions them with respect to the mechanism of Figure 1, is described in Patents 2,161,200 and 2,228,304, and does not form a part of the present invention which deals solely with the box blanks after they are positioned as shown in Figure 1.

As described in the patent, vertical reciprocatwire strand W. The cross-bar is mounted for reciprocation in side castings 30, one on each side of the machine. The cross-bar supporting the former unit travels in vertical tracks 3| in the casting 30, and is supported and reciprocated by drive rods 32 driven by gears 33 through cranks 34. Below each former unit F is a die unit D mounted on a base 35. Each die unit cooperates with its respective former unit to sever the wire W and to form the prongs on the ends of the wire.

Referring to Figure 2, each die unit has two die members 2 suitably secured by screws 4 to the base plate D of the die unit and to the base 35. Spacing the two die members and secured to the base plate D is a spacer block 5 carrying an upright shear member 6, shown in cross-section in Figure 6 and in enlarged front elevation in Figure'3. Referring to Figure 3, the top of shear member 6 is provided with a V-notch whose apexextends in the direction of the wire W. n

The shear member cooperates with the former unit F to sever the wire W by cutting out a portion thereof and, because of the rectangular shape of the shear member, the shearing action forms desired V-notches 23 in the ends of the wire (Figure 4).

Each die member 2 has a face opposing the shear member 6. Each face has a sharp vertical scoring ridge 3 which, as will be explained, serves to score one side of the wire end operated on by that face. The opposing ridges 3 are shown in cross-section in Figure 6.

Each former unit F comprises two former members 3 secured together back to back and provided with recesses which form the recess l0, shaped to receive the shear member 6 as the former unit descends onto the die unit. Each former member 8 has a projection 9 having a roove H, aligned with the opposing ridge 3 as shown in cross-section in Figure 6. The sides of the projections 53 and the ridges 3 are spaced sufiiciently to receive and score the wire ends therebetween as shown in Figiues 5 and 6, as will. be described.

The under side of each projection 9 has a notch 12 (Figure 3) running in the direction of the wire W, and at the apex of the notch is a downwardly projecting ridge l3 which, like ridges 3, has a sharp scoring edge which serves to score the wire end at the time of the severing operation (see Figure 4).

The former unit carries guides G on either side of the former members 8, urged downwardly by springs G but movabie with respect to the former unit against the action of the springs. The guides G are notched at their ends to receive the wire W and to position and align it with respect to the notches I2 and ridges 53 of the projections 9 in advance of their contact with the wire W.

As each former unit descends, driven by the drive rods 32, the guides G first contact the stationary wire strand connecting the box blanks and align it with respect to the scoring ridges I3 and shearing member 6. As the former unit continucs to descend, the wire is pressed into notch I of shear member 6, whereupon further descent forces the scoring edges I3 into the upper surface of the wire to score it as shown in Figure 4, and simultaneously forces the projections 9 past the shear member 6, shearing the wire and forming the end notches 23 shown in Figure 4. Further descent bends the now severed wire ends about the upper corners of the die members 2 forming the wire ends into prongs. Continued descent forces the wire prongs, properly aligned by the notches I i, into the ridges 3, thereby scoring each wire prong on the side opposite that scored by the scoring ridge 13.

Each shearing operation cuts out a section of wire, the length of shear member 5, which section falls to top surface 5a of spacer block 5 when former unit F raises. Top surface 5a may be provided with a slope to cause the wire section to move to and fall from the open side or sides of member 5; or any other suitable means may be utilized to dispose of the loose wire section.

Simultaneously the upper and outer surfaces of the die members 2 coact with corresponding surfaces of the former members 8 to provide a bent portion 25 for holding the scored prong 24 during the prong driving operation. Each prong has two potential legs 29, joined by a web portion 28 left by the scoring actions. The end of the prong has two sharp points separated by the sloping side which forms the V-notch 23. Later,

r momma inathe; subsequent; prong; driving; operation, the sharp-points assistrin thepenetration of the prong throughthe sid'e material.v Theweb 28 holds the two legs. together but is severed, by the clinching operation to-freesthe two legs; 29. Theprong is now ready for positioning for driving.

5 At the bottom of the motion of the former unit F,;itisv immediately withdrawn and simultaneously-two spindles S rise; each grasps its wire at a, point between the prong 24 and the end of the side-material M, and bends thebody of the wire to. swing the prong over onto the box blank side material M to form the bightR. and positions the prong as shown in Figure 5. The spindles and the mechanism by which the. spindles are 0perated are shown in Patent No. 2,024,188. Thus positioned the. prong 24 is now ready for; driving and clinching, which operation is carried out by driving units T (Figure l.) and, clinching units 0 located belowthe driving units.

At the, moment the prong is. positioned as shown; in Figures? and 8, the driv-ingunitsT are ready to: descend to align and. to drive the prong through theeside material. as shown in Figure- 9.

The construction and operation of. the driving units T are. described in the Patent 2,024,188. They are mounted:- on reciprocating crossr-beams which reciprocate vertically-in-channels 3 d inthe side castings "tit. There :are two driving, T for. each wire strand, so-thatthe severed and pronged ends of. each wire strand are driven simultaneously. As-described in the patent and as shown in Figure 9, each driving unit is provided with side. guides. 31- and- 38, andwith a driving hammer 39; which: descends upon. and

4| urge the plate 2i and posts upwardly; the upward motion being limited by stops (not shown) operating in conjunction with the guide posts 49.

Plate 2| has an e ongated opening 22 with which prong 24' is aligned before driving, as shown in Figures? and 8; 22 is shown in Figure 8, its width in Figure 7. As

the driven prong enters opening 22, the left face 22a of opening 22' (Figure 7) may serve to guide prong 2 to insure its pointing directly downward after driving; i. e. making the angle between prong 24 and wire length 25 substantially a right angle after driving;

After being driven through theside material,

prong 24. is clinched by the cornbined action of drving-runit-T. and clincher unit C. Each clincher unit C is mounted on a base plate extending between side castings 30, andincludes a clinching anvil" M, having abase I5, secured against rotation in clincher body H by set screw I8. Clinch-' ing anvil It is received by" opening 22', andhas the same shapeirr horizontal cross-section as has opening 22.

After the driving operation is completed, the driving unit T continues" to descend, forcing the plate downwardly against the action of the springs H and causing theprong to move: downwardly against the stationary clinching; anvil i l to. divide and clinch theprong.

' To this endtheanvilv M has aridgezll aligned withthe \L-notch 2.3. at the endof the: prong;

The length of opena The" sides of the; ridge-.213 blend with upwardly and outwardly sloping. surfaces; i9 01 anvil 14:. As the. prong. descends. against. the anvil. M, the: apex; of; the: V.-n'otch. 23...meets. the ridge. 2B, with the: result that as the two. sides. 23 of. the prong ride. over therespective sides ofridgezll, the web 2.8. connecting. the two. sides 29 of. the prong is torn, and the. prong isv divided. into separate. sides (legs. 29) The. ends of.the legs moveoutwardly over. the anvil as the prong continues to. descend,..and.finally' meet enter and bed in the side material M. The, shape. ofthe point of each leg. 29 isisuchthat as it: moves outwardly from. the ridge 2B and finally contacts the side material M',. itenters'and embeds in. the under side of the side material.

By this.v operation, the single prong is convertedinto. a. double. prong. and is securely clinched and set into; the; side material in. such manner that. subsequent. bending of. the. bight does not: loosen the: clinchedv prong, even though therside material be relatively thin...

The construction: of. the engageable fastener iii-combination with the double-legged. two-di rectiona-l clinching, prong is:- covered. in. a 001- pendingv application.

As. many possible embodimentsmay be made of the above invention and as changes may be made in the. embodiments described. with out. departing from the scope thereof, it is tube-understood. that all matter herein set forth or shown. in the accompanying drawings is to be interpretedas illustrative and not inalim'iting. sense;

I. claim 1. In a machine having instrumentalities for forming and perpetuating a bendable fastening bight at the end of a binding wire securing box parts:.togethen in the. form of a box blank, in combination, mechanism for forming a prong at the end of? the wire extending from said box blank including a shearing member having a convex shearing edge and a forming member having a shearing edge conforming to that of said shearing member andadapted to move past the shearing member while said wire is on said shearing member to cut a section from said wire and leave a V-notch' across the wire end, said forming member having a channel extending from its shearing edge parallelto said wire and having a knife-shaped ridge extending into the channel from the apex thereof for scoring an end portion of said'wire simultaneously with the shearing action, the scoring extending to the apex of the notch of said wire end, a die member having a knife-shaped ridge, said forming member having a second channel adapted to bend and force said end portion against the ridge of said die member to-score the end portion on the side opposite the first scoring and to'leave a web connecting the two sides of the end portion separated by the scoring, and said forming member and die members having coacting surfaces forbending the end portion into a prong;

2. In a machine having instrumentalities for forming. and. perpetuating a bendable fastening night. at the end of. a binding wire securing. box partstogether in the. form of. a box blank, in comb-inatiorn..mechanism for forming 2. prong at. the endzot the wire extending from said box blank including. a. shearing member having a convexshearing edgeand. a formingmember havingfa shearing edge conforming; to that'of' said shearing member and adapted to move past the shearing member while said wire is on said shearing member to cut a section from said wire and leave a V-notch across the wire end, said forming member having a channel extending from its shearing edge parallel to said wire and having a knife-shaped ridge extending into the channel from the apex thereof for scoring an end portion of said wire simultaneously with the shearing action, the scoring extending to the apex of the notch of said wire end, a die member having a knife-shaped ridge, said forming member having a second channel adapted to bend and force said end portion against the ridge of said die member to score the end portion on the side opposite the first scoring and to leave a web connecting the two sides of the end portion separated by the scoring, said forming member and die members having coacting surfaces for bending the end portion into a prong, and said shearing member having a V-notch at the end thereof to hold and align the wire during contact by the forming member.

3. In a machine having instrumentalities for forming and perpetuating a bendable fastening bight at the end of a binding wire securing box parts together in the form of a box blank, in combination, mechanism for forming a prong at the end of the wire extending from said box blank including a shearing member having a convex shearing edge and a forming member having a shearing edge conforming to that of said shearing member and adapted to move past the shearing member while said wire is on said shearing member to cut a section from said wire and leave a \-'notch across the wire end, said forming member having a channel extending from its shearing edge parallel to said wire and having a knife-shaped ridge extending into the channel from the apex thereof for scoring an end portion of said wire simultaneously with the shearing action, the scoring extending to the apex of the notch of said wire end, a die member having a knife-shaped ridge, said forming member having a second channel adapted to bend and force said end portion against the ridge of said die member to score the end portion on the side opposite the first scoring and to leave a web con-- necting the two side of the end portion separated by the scoring, said forming member and die members having coacting surfaces for bending the end portion into a prong, said shearing member having a V-notch at the end thereof to hold and align the wire during contact by the forming member, and resilient guides extending beyond the first channel of said forming member for contacting and aligning said wire with respect to said shear member and the ridge in advance of contact by the forming member.

4. In a machine having instrumentalities for forming and perpetuating a bendable fastening bight at the end of a binding wire securing box parts together in the form of a box blank, in combination, mechanism for forming a prong at the end of the wire extending from said box blank including a shearing member having a convex shearing edge and a forming member having a shearing edge conforming to that of said shearing member and adapted to move past the shearing member while said wire is on said shearing member to out a section from said wire and leave a V notch across the wire end, said forming member having a channel extending from its shearing edge parallel to said wire and having a knife-shaped ridge extending into the channel from the apex thereof for scoring an end portion of said wire simultaneously with the shearing action, the scoring extending to the apex of the notch of said wire end, a die member having a knife-shaped ridge, said forming member having a second channel adapted to bend and force said end portion against the ridge of said die member to score the end portion on the side opposite the rst scoring and to leave a web connecting the two sides of the end portion separated by the scoring, said forming member and die members having coacting surfaces for bending the end portion into a prong, driving means for driving the prong through side material of the box blank and a clinching member for tearing the web portion and dividing the prong into two legs and for clinching the two legs against the side material, said clinching member having a ridge aligned with the V-notch oi the wire end for entering said V-notch, and having the clinching surface extending from said ridge for causing the of the prong to spread outwardly as the prong and. clinching member move together, and finally to clinch the legs of the prong against the side material.

5. In a machine having instrumentalitles for forming and perpetuating a bendable fastening bight at the end of a binding wire securing box parts together to form a box blank, in combination, a cooperating pair of compound die members having complementary V-shaped shearing edges for cutting said wire so as to leave a V-notoh across the wire end, surfaces extending at an angle to the line of said wire for bending the end portion of said wire to form a prong, and projections associated ith said bending surfaces for scoring said prong along opposite sides; a rotatable member adapted for engagement with said wire to turn the end portion back to form a bight and position the prong over a box part; a driving member for driving the prong through the box part; and a clinching member having a ridge adapted for engagement with said V-notch to divide said wire along the scoring into two legs, and surfaces extending from said ridge at either side for clinching said legs against the underside of the box part.

6. In a machine having instrum'entalities for forming and perpetuating a bendable fastening bight at the end of a binding wire securing box parts together to form a box blank, means for severing said binding wire between adjacent box blanks and simultaneously notching the two wire end thus formed to prepare said ends for splitting to formbifurcated prongs, said means comprising a projecting shear member having at its opposite sides along the line of said binding wire, a pair of relatively sharply convex shearing edges, and a forming member having an opening conforming to the shape of said shearing member, said two members being arranged for reciprocation relatively to each other across the line of said binding wire to move said shearing member into the opening in said forming member to sever from said binding wire a short length of loose wire, and leave V-notehes in the two binding wire ends thus formed.

7. The mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein the fact of the projecting end of said shear member is concavely shaped to cradle said bindin wire and align it on said shear member.

8. In a machine having instrumentalities for forming and perpetuating a bendable fastening bight at the end of a binding wire securing box 9 10 parts together to form a box blank, means for nel arranged to guide the end portion of said scoring the end portions of said binding wires to wire against the latter said ridge. prepare said ends for splitting to form bifurcated GLEN P. WOODBURY. prongs, said means comprising a forming mem ber having a channel adapted to receive said wire 5 REFERENCES CITED and having a relatively Sharp ridge Projecting The following references are of record in the from said channel for scoring one side of the fil f this patent; end portion of a wire in said channel, a die member having a projecting corner, said two members UNITED STATES PATENTS being movable relatively to each other for bendl0 Number Name Date I ing the end portion of said wire around said 438,712 Painter Oct. 21, 1890 corner to form a prong, said die member having 3 Rosenmund 1933 a relatively sharp projecting ridge for scoring 1,933,031 Rosenmund Oct. 31, 1933 the other side of the end portion of said wire, 1,953,306 ay d J1me 1934 and said forming member having a second chan- 15 2,191,634 Rosenmund 1940 2,338,204 Rosenmund Jan. 4, 1944 

